Page 122 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Vocabulary
3.2 build vocabulary for writing by confirming word meaning(s) and reviewing and refining word choice, using a variety of resources and strategies, as appropriate for the purpose (e.g., confirm or adjust meaning by relating words to their context;9 consult thesauruses to find more evocative words for their narratives and poems; maintain their own lists of specialized business and technical vocabulary associated with careers of their choice, and consult these lists to enhance their writing)
Teacher prompts: “Is there a better way to say this, without using slang?” “Did you check the thesaurus to see if there are other words you could use here?” “Why did you decide to use non-standard English for this character?”
Punctuation
3.3 use punctuation correctly and effectively to communicate their intended meaning (e.g., use italics/underlining or quotation marks as appropriate to indicate titles of works; use parentheses or dashes to set off supplementary material such as examples and definitions;
use ellipses to indicate the omission of words or phrases from quotations)
Teacher prompt: “How do you indicate the title of a short story? Of a novel?”
Grammar
3.4 use grammar conventions correctly and appro- priately to communicate their intended mean- ing clearly and effectively (e.g., use a variety of sentence types correctly in their writing;10 use parallel structure and balance in sentences to convey information emphatically; use unconven- tional grammar for effect)
Teacher prompt: “What is an example of unconventional grammar that would suit the purpose of your personal essay?”
Proofreading
3.5 regularly proofread and correct their writing (e.g., ask a partner to read their work aloud, and listen for errors and missing information; use a print or electronic dictionary to check words that may be misspelled or inappropriately used, and make corrections where necessary)
Teacher prompt: “What types of errors will spell-checking software not be able to catch?”
Publishing
3.6 use a variety of presentation features, includ- ing print and script, fonts, graphics, and lay- out, to improve the clarity and coherence of their written work and to heighten its appeal and effectiveness for their audience (e.g., use an appropriate layout and appropriate features, such as tables and charts, in publishing a research report in an electronic format; use appropriate design features, such as varied fonts, graphics, drawings, and photographs, in pub- lishing an illustrated essay about a novel)
Teacher prompts: “How can you use design features to enhance your research report?” “What images could you choose that would heighten your essay’s appeal for the reader?”
Producing Finished Works
3.7 produce pieces of published work to meet cri- teria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations (e.g., adequate devel- opment of information and ideas, logical organi- zation, appropriate use of form and style, appro- priate use of conventions)
Teacher prompt: “How have you structured the paragraphs in your essay to make your argument convincing? How could you change the structure to make your essay even more effective?”
4. Reflecting on Skills and Strategies
By the end of this course, students will:
Metacognition
4.1 explain which of a variety of strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after writing, then evaluate their strengths and limitations as writers to help identify the steps they can take to improve their writing skills (e.g., describe how it helped them to use a check- list to keep on track for a large assignment; describe the value of keeping organized records of information they have gathered through research and of their sources; compare their current writing skills with those required for college or the workplace, and identify specific goals for improvement)
Teacher prompts: “Which writing strategies and tools do you see yourself using in other settings, beyond high school?” “Which revi- sion strategy used in class was most effective in helping you to improve your writing, and why?” “What do you see as your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?” “What specific goals can you set to improve your writing skills?”
9. TLCC 7-12 “Using Context to Find Meaning” 38-39
10. TLE 10-12 “Modelled Writing” 51
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English
ENG4C